Observational records are made of teacher-student interaction and other activities in 20 classrooms in grades 1 and 5 of elementary schools in Taiwan, Japan, and the United States. The study seeks: (a) to ascertain similarities and differences in classroom behavior in the three cultures, and (b) to relate classroom behavior to children's level of achievement. Special attention is paid to children with reading disabilities. Comparisons are made between groups of children of low, average, and high achievement, and of children from the lowest 5% of the distribution of a reading test. The goal is to understand the relevance of cultural differences in children's experiences in school for scholastic success.